Snapchat has grown to become one of the most popular social media apps, especially among younger users. But how did it get its start and grow to have over 300 million daily active users? Here is a look at the origins and growth of Snapchat.
The Beginning
Snapchat was created in 2011 by three Stanford University students – Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown. The trio came up with the idea for an app that would allow people to send photo messages that disappeared after being viewed. This was in contrast to other social media networks like Facebook where content was permanently visible.
The team wanted to create a way for people to share more natural, ephemeral moments without worrying about the images living on forever publicly. They began working on Picaboo, which was the original name of Snapchat. The app launched in the iOS App Store in July 2011.
How Snapchat Got Its Name
The Picaboo name didn’t last long. It had to be changed after just a few months due to an existing company with the same name that threatened to sue. The founders rebranded the app as Snapchat in September 2011, which is the name it still uses today.
The name Snapchat perfectly captured the ephemeral nature of the app – users could snap quick photo or video messages that disappeared in a flash. By late 2012, Snapchat was doing over 20 million snaps per day.
Key Features that Drove Growth
Several key features helped propel Snapchat’s rising popularity in its early days:
- Disappearing messages – The ephemeral nature of snaps and stories made content feel more authentic and private.
- Filters and lenses – Fun special effects gave users a way to enhance their snaps.
- Stories – Letting users post a chronological narrative of snaps that disappeared after 24 hours opened creative options.
- Snapcodes – The ability to easily add friends by scanning their unique snapcode opened the door to new connections.
These features cultivated an engaging, quirky platform that resonated with younger demographics and early adopters looking for a change from platforms like Facebook.
Major Milestones
Here are some of the major milestones in Snapchat’s growth trajectory:
- 2012 – Hits 1 million daily active users
- 2013 – Launches stories and introduce video snaps
- 2014 – Hits 30 million daily active users
- 2015 – Launches discover section and introduce lenses
- 2016 – Hits 100 million daily active users
- 2017 – IPO at $17 billion valuation
- 2021 – Passes 500 million monthly active users
Snapchat was able to leverage new features and an engaged early adopter user base to experience massive growth, especially between 2014-2017. While growth has slowed in recent years, Snapchat continues to be one of the top social apps.
Marketing Strategy
In addition to making a unique, fun app, Snapchat capitalized on smart marketing strategies in its early days. Some highlights include:
- Leveraging influencer networks on YouTube and Instagram to drive adoption.
- Promoting a relaxed culture at the company that highlighted creativity.
- Appealing to younger demographics who wanted a social platform separate from their parents.
- Recruiting college ambassadors to promote Snapchat on campuses.
- Gamifying the experience with snapstreaks and trophies that incentivized usage.
Snapchat built buzz by making the app seem cool and exclusive in the early days. They focused on college students and teens before broadening their demographic appeal.
Monetization and Advertising
Snapchat introduced advertising and monetization slowly over time, not wanting to jeopardize the user experience. Some key points in building revenue include:
- 2014 – Begins showing ads between stories.
- 2015 – Launches Snapchat Partners program to work with brands and influencers.
- 2016 – Starts selling and creating sponsored lenses and geofilters.
- 2017 – Launches self-serve ad manager platform.
Snapchat is now able to generate billions in revenue annually through advertising in stories and lenses. They have also developed an ad network that extends beyond the core Snapchat app.
Expanding Use Cases
Snapchat has expanded the ways users can leverage the app over time, including:
- Launching Snap Map to share locations.
- Letting users display public profiles and content on web profiles.
- Adding group video chat capabilities.
- Launching Snap Kit to integrate Snapchat into other apps.
- Rolling out Snap Originals exclusive content.
These changes have helped Snapchat move beyond just ephemeral messaging to become a more robust, full-featured social platform.
Competition from Instagram
A major challenge for Snapchat has been competition from Facebook-owned Instagram. Instagram has ruthlessly copied many of Snapchat’s features over the years, including:
- Launching Instagram Stories in 2016 with ephemeral content.
- Adding augmented reality filters, similar to Snapchat Lenses.
- Enabling sharing locations via Instagram Maps.
- Letting users share content that disappears after 24 hours via Close Friends.
Instagram has been able to leverage Facebook’s massive user base and resources to integrate and promote similar features to Snapchat, slowing down Snapchat’s growth. Snapchat has tried to differentiate by staying ahead on innovation and offering an ad platform that protects user privacy.
International Growth
Most of Snapchat’s early growth was concentrated in North America. They have worked to expand internationally by:
- Offering localized filters and lenses, like around holidays.
- Building out their regional sales teams.
- Launching marketing initiatives targeted at key countries.
- Adding support for more languages.
- Partnering with local businesses, brands and creators.
Key international markets like India, Brazil, France, Saudi Arabia, Canada and the UK now make up a significant portion of Snapchat’s user base.
New Hardware Products
Snapchat has also expanded into hardware, including:
- Launching Snap Spectacles smart glasses in 2016 and 2019.
- Announcing the Pixy flying camera drone in 2022.
These products have allowed Snapchat to branch out while also promoting their app capabilities and image technology.
Conclusion
Snapchat successfully went from a novel messaging app to a full-fledged social media giant by focusing on an engaging ephemeral experience that resonated with younger users. They smartly built up their platform over time with new features and revenue streams without alienating their core user base. While competition from Instagram and slowing growth are challenges, Snapchat continues to hold a massive, loyal user base by providing fun and safe ways to communicate.